I think you are wrong. There is a Purgatory.
Mere reason suggests there must be a Purgatory. So many people seem to be good, but not so greatly good that they should be fit for heaven at once. Again, not nearly all are so evil as to deserve hell. So there should be a means of purification and paying the debt of temporal punishment for those not fit for hell, nor for heaven at once. (Of course Luther would say we can sin all we want and still go to heaven at once, if only we believe it is all covered by Christ's merits: Epistle 501 to Melanchthon).
There is not much in Scripture on Purgatory except that in Second Maccabees 12:45, Judas sends a collection to the Temple for those fallen in battle, found with amulets on, "that they might be freed from this sin." Luther saw so clearly that this referred to Purgatory--which he rejected--that he rejected this book too, declaring it not part of Scripture. Some have tried to see an implication of Purgatory in Matthew 12:32. There Jesus speaks of the sin against the Holy Spirit that will be forgiven "neither in this world nor in the next." But the expression quoted is known in Rabbinic literature, where it means merely "never." Still less could we deduce purgatory from First Corinthians 3:11-15. Paul means if the work of some Christian worker has been of such low quality that it burns down, he himself will be saved "as through fire." But the fire seems to mean the apocalyptic fire of the last day, not a fire of purgatory.
But our belief in Purgatory rests on the tradition and definitions of the Church, at the Councils of Lyons II, Florence, and Trent.
The essential, perhaps the only suffering of Purgatory is the loss of God--it is like what we described in speaking of hell, except that in Purgatory there is no despair, rather, great consolation from assurance of salvation. Is there also something like fire in Purgatory? A host of private apparitions say there is; the Church has never pronounced on it. In fact the Eastern part of the Catholic Church has no such tradition. Many theologians say the suffering is greater than anything on earth. Neither Scripture nor Tradition tells us if that be so.
We do know that the souls there cannot merit or help themselves in any way anymore, they can only suffer. We know we can by prayers and penances relieve them, and somehow, they are enabled to know it when we do that, and they pray for us. How long should we pray and sacrifice for a particular soul? We do not know. St. Augustine in his Confessions (9:13), written 10 to 15 years after the death of his mother, St. Monica, still asked for prayers for her. If we can believe the private apparitions, Purgatory may last the equivalent of many years (we speak thus, for there is no time in Purgatory). For certain, it is terribly wrong to virtually canonize a person at the funeral, as Protestants do under the influence of Luther's sad mistake. Sadly not a few Catholics are imitating them.
2007-01-18 01:46:31
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answer #1
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answered by Anonymous
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There is no such place as prgatory mentioned in the Bible. It is another one of the Catholic Churches inventions.
The doctrine of Purgatory, established by Gregory I 593
2007-01-18 15:59:26
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answer #2
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answered by Freedom 7
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I think the Catholics are the only ones who believe in purgatory. Right? When my Dad died - he died with a bunch of "sins on his soul" according to the Catholic church. So my Mom was forever praying for my Dad and all of the poor souls in purgatory.
I don't believe in hell or purgatory or SIN for that matter. But you know - the idea of purgatory was a huge comfort for my Mom when my Dad died at 38 and left her with four kids - so if it was helpful for her to believe in it - then I'm glad it existed.
I do think the Catholics did away with Limbo (which is where unbaptized babies used to go). I find it absolutely hysterical that they could just decide to change that after umpteen years. What do they think happened to all of the baby souls that they believed were there in the first place? Hmmmmmmm.
2007-01-18 01:38:29
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answer #3
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answered by liddabet 6
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certain texts of Scripture, speaks of a cleansing fire:
To understand this doctrine and practice of the Church, it is necessary to understand that sin has a double consequence. Grave sin deprives us of communion with God and therefore makes us incapable of eternal life, the privation of which is called the "eternal punishment" of sin. On the other hand every sin, even venial, entails an unhealthy attachment to creatures, which must be purified either here on earth, or after death in the state called Purgatory. This purification frees one from what is called the "temporal punishment" of sin. These two punishments must not be conceived of as a kind of vengeance inflicted by God from without, but as following from the very nature of sin. A conversion which proceeds from a fervent charity can attain the complete purification of the sinner in such a way that no punishment would remain.
2007-01-18 01:49:09
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answer #4
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answered by Gods child 6
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Purgatory is a place the church made up because they could not understand spiritual things in their limited concept so they had to invent an answer. When you die you go straight into eternity where there is no time to sit in purgatory.
In the old testament there was a waiting place, but it was for waiting for Jesus' crucifiction. Like I said trying to figure it out in our limited thinking is too complex.
2007-01-18 01:42:58
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answer #5
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answered by sapphire_630 5
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I don't believe there is such a thing as purgatory but that's just my personal belief
2007-01-18 01:33:23
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answer #6
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answered by Lov'n IT! 7
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Sylvia Browne talks about dark entities. Humans that have no conscience and you cannot help no matter what you do.
She said they go to a Holding Place, where the walk around with soulless eyes, unware they are still alive as spirit beings,
(purgatory?). Until they manage to reincarnate.
Are these the born psychos? Who were made psychos in an Earth life by being beaten or molested as children or adults?
A psychiatrist that studied psychopaths said oddly enough. They want us to feel sorry for them. But she said they deserve no pity from us.
Maybe they do!
2007-01-18 01:37:06
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answer #7
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answered by Mr Spock 2
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There are a few Protestant sects that do feel in it, however they're infrequent. Purgatory isn't a location, however many attempt to describe it as such. Purgatory is a system, it's the system of purification of temporal punishment and venial sins from our souls. Catholics feel in Purgatory due to the fact that it there may be evidence of it within the Bible and it is smart. Jesus would possibly not have recounted Purgatory via identify, however we do see the system defined via Christ: Take for instance the three servants (often referred to as the Parable of the Talents) in Matthew 25: 14-30. Christ states that there have been three servants of whom had been entrusted advantage in step with their advantage and so they had been to take them and do what they would with them and whilst the Master again He could take account of what they'd performed. The first servant did well and whilst the Master noticed this, He praised the servant and taken him into the Master's House. The moment servant did evil and whilst he Master noticed this, He threw the servant out of the Master's House and into the darkish, wherein there could be "wailing and gnashing of tooth". Now the 3rd servant did to not very well, however he didn't do evil both and the Master noticed this and taken him into the Master's House, however ONLY after he bought punishment. Here we see 3 offerings for persons, Heaven, Hell or Purgatory after which Heaven. It is not only Heaven or Hell, as many Protestants state. Jesus right here says that you're going to both be stored or damned and if you're stored, a few of you'll handiest be stored after punishment is given. Those who're stored, however nonetheless have temporal sins upon their souls pass by way of Purgatory to be purified of the ones sins earlier than coming into into Heaven. This additionally coincides with John's declaration that "not anything unclean can input Heaven" and so people who die with even the smallest sin (a white lie) on their souls could no longer be capable to go into into Heaven until there was once some way for that sin to be eliminated from the soul after dying. Also, John states in his Epistle that there are 2 forms of sin, those who aren't lethal (which we name venial) and those who are lethal (which we name mortal). Those who die with mortal sins on their souls don't have any hazard at salvation, people who die with venial sins upon their souls can nonetheless be stored, however handiest by way of hearth--Purgatory. We additionally see in Maccabees two (a guide the Protestants reject) that it's mentioned to hope for the useless in order that their sins could also be published within the subsequent existence. Christ additionally states within the Gospels that there are a few sins a good way to no longer be "forgiven on this existence or the following". If sins would no longer be forgiven within the subsequent existence besides, then there could be no purpose to state it, however due to the fact that He did, Christ is displaying that there are sins that may be forgiven within the subsequent existence (i.e. after dying). They are forgiven by way of Purgatory. And sure, anybody did invent the system of Purgatory: God did. --------------------------- Added: To people who hold declaring that Purgatory was once "performed away with, abolished or denounced" via the Pope a couple of months in the past, you're unsuitable. Purgatory is DOGMA and for this reason can not and may not be pushed aside as fake. It is a aspect of the Deposit of Faith from the Apostles and is aspect of our religion. The Pope did push aside the IDEA of Limbo, that is NOT Purgatory. Many persons had been falsely declaring that Limbo was once a location for unbaptized toddlers to move and the Pope introduced that nowhere in Tradition (which involves Sacred Scripture) is there a educating straight or not directly approximately Limbo.
2016-09-07 21:46:58
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answer #8
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answered by klavon 4
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Actually, purgatory is real -- and it is mentioned at least three times in the Bible.
It's not mentioned by the actual name "purgatory," but it IS mentioned.
In 2 Maccabees, it says that "it is a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they be loosed from their sins."
Praying for the dead would be futile if they were in hell, and would be unnecessary if they were in heaven.
So obviously, 2 Maccabees is speaking of the dead being in a third, temporary state.
In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus warns us sinners that we will "stay in prison until you pay the last penny."
Such "payment" is not necessary in heaven, and it cannot help anyone in hell. Again, this "prison" can only mean a third place -- and that place is purgatory.
In 1 Peter, we're told that after the crucifixion and before the resurrection, Jesus "went to preach to the spirits in prison."
Preaching cannot help those in hell, and it is not needed for those in heaven.
Again, this "prison" must be referring to some other spiritual state. If it's not purgatory, it's something very much like it.
.
2007-01-18 01:37:49
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answer #9
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answered by Anonymous
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Peace!
There is. Read 2 Maccabees 12, 43-46; 1 Peter 3, 18-20.
2007-01-18 01:45:36
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answer #10
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answered by Anonymous
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